


The Price

by the_7_percent_solution



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Confessions, Dialogue Heavy, Divorced John, Johnlock Roulette, Light Angst, Love, M/M, Pining, Post-Season/Series 03, Requited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-07-29 01:25:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7664920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_7_percent_solution/pseuds/the_7_percent_solution
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock is desperate to find out what it will take to convince John to move back to 221b.  John is convinced Sherlock is not ready to pay that price.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Price

It had been 4 months since the divorce was finalized. John kept living in his basement flat after Mary moved out, a decision Sherlock did not understand. Baker Street was a lonely place without John and Sherlock was baffled by the fact that he hadn’t asked to move back in. Worse yet, John hadn’t even slightly hinted at wanting to move back in. He still met Sherlock every few days for cases or to get dinner after his shifts at the clinic. Sherlock found himself texting John everyday as if they lived together. John would even bring milk and groceries occasionally because he knew Sherlock would never buy any on his own. But this distance took its toll on Sherlock and one day after finishing dinner and an exciting case, he finally broke. John walked out to hail a cab when Sherlock called to him, pleading.

“John. Please. Move back to Baker Street.”

“What? Sh-Sherlock, I can’t…”

“Please. John. I’ll do anything you ask. Name your price. Just… name it and it’s yours. Anything.”

“Sherlock, you can’t be serious - ”

“Name it! Christ, I’ll give up corrosive experiments in the kitchen. I’ll take Mrs Hudson out more often. I’ll do the shopping. I’ll play your favourite song on the violin until my fingers chap! Anything! Anything you want just, please… come back to Baker Street.”

“Sherlock, I can’t move back in. I can’t. It’s… not how things are anymore.”

“Why not?! You loved living there! We had remarkable adventures together, you know, if you include nights in watching crap telly or coming to blows over a rousing game of Cluedo…”

“Stop it, Sherlock. I’m not moving back.”

“Why not?! WHY NOT?!”

“Because my price is too steep.”

“Try me.”

“Jesus, S-Sherlock, just… trust me when I say you can’t afford the price it takes for me to move back in with you.”

“I want you to name your price, John. Please.”

John swallowed and sucked in a breath as a cab approached. He pulled open the door and stuck himself in. Looking out at Sherlock on the sidewalk, door still open, John named his price.

“I can’t move back in because I don’t want things to be like they were. That life that we had isn’t enough for me anymore, Sherlock. It was great at the time, but it isn’t enough. I’ve loved and I’ve lost, then I loved and lost again. I am not the same John Watson you met all those years ago. I want a partner, Sherlock, someone to share every part of my life with. EVERY part, you get that? I’ve never had it all. Not with you, not with Mary, not with any of my other partners throughout the years. I crave that, Sherlock. I crave having someone to come home to and wake up to. I crave feeling comfort in their arms. I crave the thrill of the chase. But there’s no point in naming my price because it’s too rich for your blood. You’ve made it abundantly clear you are not up for the challenge. Please, Sherlock, just leave it alone. Things cannot be as they were. Never ask me to move back in again.”

Sherlock was stunned silent as John stared out from the cab.

“Oi, mate, it’s getting a bit scary again. Look, I’m sorry I said anything. Just get in, we’ll share the cab, drop you off first.”

Sherlock climbed in and refused to look John in the eye. They sat in silence the whole way to Baker Street. Upon arrival, Sherlock asked John one question.

“Can I have one night?”

“One night? For what?”

“One night to convince you to move back in.”

“Sherlock, I told you never to ask me again-”

“I won’t ask you again. I promise, John. But only if you’ll do this for me. Spend the night here, with me, and in the morning if you want to leave you can, I won’t stop you.”

“But what good is that going to do? I’ve already made up my mind. Besides, I don’t have a change of clothes. My bed doesn’t have any sheets or pillows; it’s just a bare mattress-”

“I hardly see how that’s a problem,” Sherlock lazily called out behind him as he opened the cab door and led the way to 221b.   
“You’ll be spending the night in my bed.”


End file.
